Natsumi and Lord Senba
is the seventeenth episode of the Nurarihyon no Mago anime. Summary Kiyotsugu, Shima and Rikuo observe yet another shrine that has been destroyed in Ukiyoe Town, the second that day. The three are on a race against the girls of the Kiyojūji Paranormal Investigation Squad to investigate the destroyed shrines. Rikuo recalls to himself the plan of the Shikoku Hachijūhakki Yakō: To destroy the deities around the area and weaken the Nura Clan without as much notice. An ambulance rushes into the Ukiyoe General Hospital. In a forest just beside the hospital, the girls of the Squad come across a shrine. They notice the shrine is already aging. Yura guesses that the people had not frequented the shrine so much, leaving it to such a worn state. Yuki Onna claims never to have been aware of it, while Natsumi starts walking up to it. The boys of the Squad catch up to the girls. Rikuo tells the girls to start heading back home. Kiyotsugu invites Yura to Rikuo’s house, despite it not being his own house. Saori reminisces Wakana’s cooking, Recalling Wakana’s donuts, Yura accepts Kiyotsugu’s invitation. Kana recalls Wakana prone to breaking dishes. As Kiyotsugu starts to lead the Squad back into the Nura House, Natsumi takes a final look at the shrine up close. Meanwhile, at the Shikoku Yōkai skyscraper, Tearai Oni reminds Tamazuki that the Nura Clan yōkai are already onto their plan, having ignored Kagibari Onna’s diversion and killed off Inuhōō. Sodemogi-sama mischievously tells him not to panic and grabs his sleeve. Tearai Oni looks back at Sodemogi-sama. Realizing what will happen if he doesn’t, Tearai Oni hastily rips his sleeve off in panic to give to Sodemogi-sama to consume. Sodemogi-sama claims he won’t fail to take down the local deities after the Nura Clan’s intervention the night before. Noticing Sodemogi-sama’s confidence, Tamazuki tells him that he’ll be destroying the shrines without anyone guarding him from here on. Inside the Nura House, Kiyotsugu is about to tell the Squad another yōkai-related story. Shima crawls up to Kiyotsugu, while Kana leaves to help Wakana with dinner. Saori is doing her make-up and notices Natsumi doing origami next to her. Kiyotsugu and Shima notice that Tsurara is gone. Yuki Onna finds Rikuo sitting alone elsewhere within the house and contemplating the battle the night before. Recalling his grandfather Nurarihyon’s mentioning of how the Nura Clan depends on the local deities, Rikuo promises to Yuki Onna not to let the Shikoku Yōkai get away. Kuroumaru flies up to Rikuo to report that the security around the shrines has been tightened as requested. He also reports that the crows are patrolling the area and that they found smaller, never-before seen shrines. Yuki Onna begins to recall the shrine they visited earlier that day. Meanwhile, Natsumi is seen walking through the Nura House delighted. Kurotabō is walking around the Nura House, frustrated over Aotabō’s 20-minute tardiness to take his guarding shift. Natsumi, carrying paper cranes against her chest, collides with Kurotabō. Natsumi apologizes, while Kurotabō panics, realizing he’s confronting one of Rikuo’s friends from school. Fortunately for Kurotabō, Natsumi only bows to him before walking off. He notices a paper crane that Natsumi had left on the floor. Having informed Karasu Tengu of the shrine they found earlier, Rikuo and Yuki Onna are told that the shrine they found is that of Senba, an ancient deity that possess healing powers. Natsumi is seen running up to Senba’s shrine. Unbeknownst to her, Senba flies behind her from to watch her. Rikuo and Yuki Onna return to meet the Squad to find Kana and Natsumi. Saori tells them that Kana is missing, then realizes she doesn’t know where Natsumi went. Kiyotsugu recalls Natsumi making paper cranes and ignoring his lecture. Shima remarks that the only kind of origami he can make is a sailboat. Rikuo and Yuki Onna run off. At Senba’s shrine, Natsumi apologizes for not visiting him in awhile and gives a final pray before leaving. Just before leaving, she hears a noise around the forest. Suddenly, she looks behind her shoulder to find Sodemogi-sama already having grabbed her sleeve. Menacingly, Sodemogi-sama commands her to ignore Senba and call out his own name instead. In fear, Natsumi freezes. Sodemogi-sama gives her an angry look, causing Natsumi to jump back from him. Suddenly, Natsumi loses consciousness while Sodemogi-sama manages to rip a part of her sleeve off. Kurotabō arrives to slash Sodemogi-sama and catch Natsumi. The two recognize each other as hostile yōkai. When Rikuo and Yuki Onna arrive at the scene shortly after, Sodemogi-sama flees. Rikuo, Yuki Onna and Kurotabō now notice that Natsumi’s eyes have been blurred. That night, Natsumi is rushed into the emergency room at Ukiyoe General Hospital. Outside the room, Rikuo insists to his worried friends that Natsumi will be okay. He tells them to stay inside the hospital. Rikuo rushes over to Senba’s shrine to find Kurotabō waiting there. Kurotabō apologizes to Rikuo for not be able to make it on time to defend Natsumi and promises to force Sodemogi-sama to tell him how to heal Natsumi. Suddenly, the two hear a voice from above. It is Senba, whom introduces himself and tells the two that Natsumi may not be able to heal. He explains that Natsumi had been cursed and that his own powers are not enough to save her. Rikuo decrees that they must defeat Sodemogi-sama and break his curse. Transforming into his Yōkai form, he allows Senba to take over Natsumi once they do. Rikuo compliments the crescent moon over them. Having summoned the Sanba Garasu, Rikuo tells the three to locate Sodemogi-sama. Rikuo and Kurotabō run off to find him as well, leaving Senba to watch them. Across Ukiyoe Town, the Sanba Garasu, along with a large flock of crows and Ryōta Neko, begin their search for Sodemogi-sama. Sodemogi-sama is seen running through a forest. Ryōta Neko reports having found Sodemogi-sama to Rikuo, whom is now sitting on top of a skyscraper. Tosakamaru flies in to try to tell Rikuo, but Rikuo teases him for his tardiness relative to Ryōta Neko. Standing among them, Kurotabō prepares to leave for Sodemogi-sama. In the hospital, the girls are sitting at a table lamenting. Kiyotsugu and Shima walk over to cheer them up, bringing over a box of paper for them to make paper cranes and wish Natsumi luck. Meanwhile, walking up to another shrine, Sodemogi-sama repeats his name in a sing-song tone. Calling the last shrine his last for the day, Sodemogi-sama bursts in. A female deity inside starts to back away from him in fear. She introduces herself as Kokehime, the deity of the Tamakoke Shrine. The door to the shrine closes behind the two, and Sodemogi-sama corners Kokehime. Grabbing a sleeve and about to lunge at Kokehime, a blade lunges for his head, stopping him. Revealing the sleeve to be from himself, Kurotabō agrees to give Sodemogi-sama more of his sleeve. Sodemogi-sama becomes excited, only to have several blades impaling his body from Kurotabō. Sodemogi-sama is send flying out the shrine and lying on the ground to die. Kurotabō proclaims that the last sleeve he will ever grasp is his own. Impatient, Rikuo walks over to talk with Sodemogi-sama. Sodemogi-sama confirms to him that his curse will be broken once he dies, but claims Natsumi will still die. Claiming that they’re already too late, Sodemogi-sama begins to disappear. In the hospital, Natsumi begins struggling for life. Senba repents his lost powers. In a flashback, an old woman is being sent into the hospital’s emergency room. A younger Natsumi waits outside in the rain. Later, she is seen walking to Senba’s shrine. She places a crane in front of the shrine. To his presence behind her, Natsumi prays to Senba in gratitude for healing her grandma. On a winter day, Natsumi returns to place an umbrella over Senba’s shrine. Senba is seen watching her leave. Recalling those days, Senba explains that deities like himself fade away when people stop visiting their shrines so often. He claims that Natsumi’s recent visit prevented him from thinking he’d fade away. Hearing Kiyotsugu and friends walk over to his shrine to drop off paper cranes, Senba disappears. Meanwhile, Rikuo and Kurotabō are rushing back towards the hospital. Inside the operation room, the physician and nurses are desperately trying to heal Natsumi. Natsumi awakens briefly to see Senba standing above her and explaining that her beliefs in him help will help him heal her. Rikuo and Kurotabō make it to the hospital just as dawn breaks. Receiving the news that Sodemogi-sama has died, Tamazuki is disturbed at the Nura Clan’s strength even without Supreme Commander Nurarihyon among them. Inugami tries to convince Tamazuki to murder Rikuo. Embracing Tamazuki in front of the rising sun, Inugami pants and pleads to be Tamazuki’s fangs. That morning, Natsumi, alive and well, is seen praying at Senba’s shrine for one last time before leaving with her friends in the Squad. Rikuo and Yuki Onna spot Senba bowing to them, while Yura doesn’t seem to notice Senba. Nevertheless, she smiles at the thought of Senba saving Natsumi. Natsumi turns to smile back at Senba’s shrine, and the rest of the Squad gaze with her. Next episode preview Natsumi and Saori converse over how they’ve been seeing quite a few yōkai. Natsumi wonders why Kiyotsugu hasn’t seen any. Saori guesses that fate is the cause, and the fact that he’s unbearable among them. Characters in order of appearance Category:Episodes